BDP holds disciplinary hearings
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday September 25, 2020 17:09
Mmegi has learnt that the disciplinary committee has scheduled some of the cases for hearing beginning October 2020.
One of the senior party members who will appear before the committee is former senior Cabinet minister, Vincent Seretse who was serving a 60-day suspension for ‘gross’ and ‘unruly’ behaviour, ‘calculated’ to bring the party’s name into disrepute, following his Facebook posts in April.
Most of the members were each on 60-days suspension and the days have since elapsed though the members are yet to receive a communication from the party.
The BDP has only extended the suspension of Member of Parliament for Nata/Gweta, Polson Majaga.
While BDP secretary general, Mpho Balopi declined to disclose the names of the members who are scheduled to appear before the disciplinary committee, he said some hearings would be held at the branch level while the highest disciplinary committee of the party will hear others.
“Some of the disciplinary hearings will be held at the branch level while some will be heard by the highest committee of disciplinary hearing. I do not have the numbers of cases that will be heard at different branch level but the highest disciplinary committee, which reports directly to Central Committee (CC), has five cases. It will not be proper for me to disclose the names of members who will appear before the disciplinary hearing. This process is transparent for members and the committee has to follow all the process that is there in the constitution of the party before it calls one for hearing which includes investigation of the matter,” Balopi said in an interview Thursday.
Balopi also said the committee would not rush to call for hearing when investigations are not complete in some cases and rather it will have to complete investigations first.
He said disciplinary committee is an independent committee and the CC does not interfere in its work.
Early this year, BDP president, Mokgweetsi Masisi slapped Seretse – his perceived rival during the past administration – on July 15, 2020 with the suspension.
“Reference is made to your Facebook post of the 9th April 2020 wherein you state that BDP members were brainwashed into supporting the six-month State of Emergency when they were called to the State House for briefing and also your Facebook post of the 25th April 2020 where you castigated the government of the day for not affording Ineeleng Pty Ltd, an opportunity to photo shoot with powers that be,” Masisi informed Seretse in his suspension letter as a member of the BDP.
Masisi reminded him that he was exercising powers conferred on him by the BDP rules and regulations and general code of conduct. Effectively (on suspension), VT as Seretse is affectionally known, has ceased being a member of the ruling party for 60 days pending investigation into allegations and disciplinary action in light of the complaints laid against him. BDP insiders have long seen this coming.
They say Seretse was pegged as the next vice president (VP) had Masisi been sacked from the position in 2017. Ironically, Seretse was reportedly one of those who told Masisi to his face at the fateful 2017 Cabinet meeting that he did not have confidence in his leadership.